How To Write Better E-mails

Writing successfully

How To Write Better E-mails

Six steps to success

Whether you’re writing a job application or a message to a good friend, the following tips will make your message clear and ensure that the recipient knows what you want.
Write a good subject line
The subject line is the first thing the recipient of your e-mail will see. It can have an influence on whether your message is opened now, tomorrow, or not at all. It should summarize the main message of your e-mail. A subject like “Lunch tomorrow at 12?” tells the reader exactly what the content of the message is. E-mails titled “Morning!” or “Hello!”, however, may go to the bottom of the reader’s list of priorities, or land in his or her spam folder.

Keep it short and simple
Use short words, short sentences (between 10 and 20 words) and short paragraphs separated by blank space. Avoid abbreviations such as asap (as soon as possible) and FYI (for your information), especially when writing to other non-native speaker, as your reader may not know what they mean. Use simple verbs instead of noun phrases, and consider your relationship with the reader before using humor. Even with a good friend, irony or jokes in an e-mail can lead to misunderstandings.

Focus on one topic
Writing about several topics can lead to the reader overlooking something important, so try to limit your e-mail to one subject. If you have several pints to discuss, consider putting each one into a separate message. Otherwise use bullet points to structure different ideas clearly.

Think while you write
Think about the following four points while writing your e-mail: a) To whom are you writing? B) Why are you writing? c) What result should your e-mail achieve? d) What action---if any---do you want from the recipient? Be clear: If you are providing information or want something, present it in a separate paragraph, not hidden in a long block of text. Style, language and approach all depend on your relationship to the reader.

Language counts
In an e-mail, language counts. Your reader can not see your body language or hear your tone of voice. All he has is your text. So choose your words carefully and pay attention to your style. A covering letter for a job application should follow the rules for a formal letter. E-mails to friends can be more informal----a little like a conversation. E mails to colleagues or customers are often written in a neutral style, which is sometimes in between. Contractions like “how’s”, “I’ve” and it’s are common in informal e-mails and on social-networking sites. In informal English, writers often leave out words like “I am” and “it is” if the meaning is clear; for example: (I am) Sorry to hear about the result last night. (It’s a) Shame you didn’t get the job. In formal e-mails, you should not use contracted forms.

Check your text
Before sending your massage, spend a few minutes reading through what you have written. Correct any spelling mistakes make sure the message is clear and ask yourself: does this e-mail work?

The anatomy of an e-mail
Bellow are two e-mails first an informal massage between friends and then a slightly more formal one between colleagues. Read both e-mails, then look at the following tips.

TO: michael@foggert.com
Subject: Dinner tonight at 8

Hi Michael
How’s it going? I hope you had a good time at the football match last week. Shame Liverpool lost in the end.
I just wanted to let you know that we’ll be meeting for dinner tonight at 8 instead of 9. I heard Sarah’s coming, too. Are you bringing the kids?
Talking of kids, I’ve got some news for you; I’ll tell more later!
Can you just give me a call and let me know if 8 is OK?
I’m really looking forward to it –my colleagues say the restaurant’s fantastic.
See you later,
Harry

__________________________________________________________________________________
TO: christine@hairconsult.com
Subject: Presentation at the Frankfurt Trade Fair

Dear Christine,
I hope you are well and had a safe tip back to England last week. I apologize for not contacting you earlier.
I am writing with regard to the meeting we had in Cologne on Wednesday. As discussed, we would like to invite you to give a presentation about our new line of hair products at the Frankfurt Trade Fair on 8 July.
I am attaching the trade-fair programme and the proposed starting time. Perhaps we can have a conference call next week. Are you free on Thursday at 11 a.m. German time? Please let me know if this works for you.
We are very excited about the possibility of having you speak at the tread fair and hope it will make visitors more aware of the benefits of our products.
Thank you very much for your help, and please do not hesitate to contact me if you have any questions.
I look forward to hearing from you.
Best regards,
Stefan
__________________________________________________________________________________

Now let’s look at the different parts of each e-mail. We’ve used color coding for the expressions below - green for informal, blue for formal, and brown for phrases that can be used in both formal and informal situations.

1. The greeting
Use “Dear” in formal situations. With people you do not know well, use their surname: Dear Ms Jackson”. For people you know well or with whom you are on first-name terms, you can use their first name, even in quite formal e-mails: “Dear Michael”. If you don’t know the recipient’s name, write “Dear Sir or Madam”. The address for a man is “Mr.”. For a woman, the neutral title “Ms” is considered more appropriate than “Miss” or “Mrs.”, which distinguishes marital status. “Hello” and “Hi” are informal, although they are also used in neutral-style e-mails.

2. The opening
This first paragraph leads the reader into the e-mail. If there has been previous contact, useful phrases include:
• Thanks for your e-mail.
• How nice to hear from you!
• Thanks for the call.
• Sorry I haven’t written for ages / a while.

• Thank you for your e-mail received 25 May…/ Further to your e-mail…
• It was great to finally meet you last week.
• Thank you for calling me earlier.
• I apologize for not contacting you earlier.

If you know the person, try using some small talk. Useful expressions include:
• How was your trip? / How was your fight? / Hope the flight was OK.
• How’s it going? / Hope you’re well
• How was your holiday in Tuscany?
• Did you see the game / match last night?

• We hope you had a good / a pleasant trip back to …
• We are sorry / delighted to hear that …
• We heard about the awful weather in London. We hope you are managing.
3. The reason for writing
It is important to explain the reason for writing. In formal e-mails with no previous contact, this is how you should normally begin your message.
• Just a short note about… / I just wanted to let you know that…
• I have some great news! / Unfortunately…
• Here’s the … you asked for.
• I got your name from…

• I am writing in response to / with regard to / in connection with…
• I am delighted / I regret to inform you that…
• As requested, we are sending you the…
• Your name was given to me by…

4. Asking for action and marking requests
There are various useful phrases for asking someone to do something. These include:
• How about meeting in Thursday?
• Can you call me when you have a moment?
• Why don’t we meet for lunch?

• Perhaps we could meet on Thursday:
• I was wondering if you could call me when you have a moment
• Would you be able to meet for lunch?

If part of your writing is to deliver bad news or make negative comment, you can sound more polite by using “I’m afraid…” or “IT / There seems…”, or by phrasing the comment as a question with words like “quite” or “a bit”.
• Isn’t that a bit unrealistic?
• I’m afraid I didn’t really enjoy the evening.
• There seems to be a problem with the…
• I’m afraid the delay was unacceptable.

5. Final comments
As you read through your e-mail, you may find that you need to end of a positive note. In formal e-mails, it is common to use “we” if you are talking about your department or company.
• We are very excited about…
• We hope that
• I’m looking forward to

Thanking the reader for his or her attention is especially important in formal e-mails in English. It is also courteous to offer assistance if needed.
• Thanks again for…
• Let me know if you’d like me to… / if you need anything else.

• Thank you for your help.
• Many thanks in advance.
• Please do not hesitate to contact me if you have any questions.

If you expect an answer, write:
• Looking forward to hearing from you.
• Let me know
• I look / I am looking forward to hearing from you.

6. The closing
Very formal e-mails – such as business correspondence or a covering letter for a job application – follow the same rules as a formal letter. In such cases, you should close with:

• Yours sincerely / Sincerely (yours) (US) (if you started the e-mail with the person’s name)
• Yours faithfully (UK) / Sincerely (US) / Yours truly (US)(if you Started with “Dear Sir or Madam” )

Less formal is:

• Best / Kind regards
• Regards

With friends, you can write:
• See you soon
• Bye / Bye for now
• Take care
• Cheers
In informal mess

Thank you so much, I really like the different suggestions you give.

Very nice post Axel,

after consideration the ESLC Team will move this topic in the category "Business English", we think it is more appropriate for people wanting to write important e mails, and that it is less a grammar lesson

Thanks anyway,

The ESLC Team